Gravity Rises Episode 1: Tourist Trapped Part 1
by atyourdisservice
Summary: Gideon Pines, a socially awkward, thirteen-year old boy is sent to Gravity Rises, Oregon, a seemingly quiet town that holds unimaginable secrets.


As Gideon Pines was sitting on the window seat of the Greyhound bus, the sun filtering through the window and heating his skin, he pondered why he should be on this bus. His typical-belief parents decided that Gideon needed some "fresh country air", so they shipped him off on the first bus to Gravity Rises, Oregon, a nobody town that none of his friends recognized when he told them about it. He had to stay with his Uncle Bud at his tourist trap called the 'Mystery Shack', if it so could be called. Every exhibit was a fake, and the only way the mindless that ended up there actually funded it was that his uncle was a fluent con man. But not the way that you would think; he 'conned them with kindness' as Gideon liked to put it. He would act modest, and constantly complement the customers. Being the idiots that they were, they thought him "the only genuine man in the area". They didn't know the half of it. Gideon was brought out of his thoughts as the Greyhound came to an abrupt stop. The old man sitting across the aisle stirred in his sleep and muttered something about how he was framed for rigging the hot dog eating contest. Gideon gingerly walked around his seat as to not disturb the old man's sleep, and walked up the aisle to the bus driver, duffel bag in hand. "Excuse me, sir. This is my stop," Gideon informed the bus driver, a stern looking middle-aged woman who appeared to have better things to do than drive a bus containing only a 13-year old kid and a senile old man. Instead of replying, she simply grunted and slammed her hand on the button that opened the door. "Um, okay, thank you for driving -" He was cut off by a death glare from the bus driver indicating that he should get off the bus or she would push him off. "...me... okay...bye." Gideon awkwardly backed out of the bus. He had always been awkward in social situations, but his parents taught him manners. Which the bus driver needed a lesson in... Gideon decided to put his thoughts aside and figure out where to go. Thankfully, the bus driver was nice enough to drive all the way to the Mystery Shack. Gideon stared up at the log cabin-esque building. Marveling wasn't really the right word, more like accepting his fate. _It's going to be a long summer._ Gideon thought as he trudged over to the Mystery Shack.

* * *

Pacifica Southeast mentally prepared herself for yet another lonely, hurtful summer in Gravity Rises as she prodded at her pancakes, eggs, and bacon formed into a smiley face, courtesy of her dork of a mom. _Just like me. _Pacifica concluded. "I have a good feeling about this summer, Pacifica. The air smells of change, and so does my pancake recipe. I added a secret ingredient: coffee. You like?" Pacifica's mom, Serena, asked. _Sure, now I can be energized as I get bullied every day. _Pacifica thought glumly. But she put on a fake smile and said, "I love it, Mom! You know how much I love coffee!" Serena beamed and starting washing dishes. Pacifica sighed and poked at her eggs until the face looked like its eyes were crossed, which made Pacifica smile for a bit. Just a little bit. "Why don't you go volunteer at the Mystery Shack like you did last summer? Didn't you like it there?" Serena suggested, seeing her daughter was less than ecstatic than the summer. _I used to like it there, before Diana arrived._ Pacifica thought bitterly. Diana was the punk-rock, drumming, bully of a girlfriend to Wendel, the only reason that Pacifica _used_ to like it at the Mystery Shack. Once Diana was almost always at the Mystery Shack, Pacifica got bullied every day by Diana. Once last summer ended, Pacifica vowed to never go to the Mystery Shack again, and steer way clear of Diana. Pacifica didn't see why everyone bullied her; so what if she dressed in bright, neon, retro clothes and had a creative personality. Somehow that made everybody better than her? Pacifica would never understand the minds of bullies. But, Pacifica decided that sitting in her house all day would just bring the bullies to her, and she didn't want her mom to know about her daily torments. So Pacifica decided to stick it up and go to the Mystery Shack today. If Diana was there, she would find something else to do all summer, if she wasn't there so frequently, then maybe she could work something out with Mr. Bud. Yes, that sounded nice. Bud was a fun man when he wasn't conning his customers, so she could hang out with him, and best of all Wendel. As much as she tried not to, Pacifica couldn't help but have a major crush on him. With his shiny red hair, teal flannel shirts, and his dazzling smile, who wouldn't? "You know what mom, maybe you're right. I should go to the Mystery Shack! Love you!" she said as she walked out the door, swinging her mini backpack over her shoulder. "Maybe I'm always right," Serena said to herself amusedly after the door slammed shut.

* * *

As Gideon walked up to the Mystery Shack, acknowledging the slew of signs saying things like, "Got money? Let us fix that! Come visit the Mystery Shack!", "Want riches, ancient artifacts from ruined civilizations to sell on Ebay, and more things that could benefit your life? We don't have any here, but we have Pitt cola and supernatural odds and ends! Come to the Mystery Shack!" and the most disturbing: "Every time you are about to be mauled by a bear,, think of the Mystery Shack! You know where to go!", Gideon was too caught up in reading the signs that he didn't notice a broken step and tripped forwards, fortunately landing on his duffel bag. "Woah, dude, are you alright?" a kind voice asked. Gideon looked up to see a tall, sixteen year-old guy with shaggy red hair covered partially with a hat. "Uh, yeah, thanks..." Gideon said, not sure where to go from there conversation-wise. Thankfully, the teenager introduced himself. "No problem man. I'm Wendel, and you must be Gideon. Bud told me you would be here soon." "Oh, cool. So... where should I put my stuff?" Gideon asked "If you go into the second room on the right and up the stairs, there's and attic that you can stay in." "Alright, thanks!" Gideon walked in and followed Wendel's directions, but was trampled by a herd of tourists in the corridor. This time, a large, mellow faced man in a Hawaiian print shirt and a fez with some logo that Gideon didn't recognize. It could only be one person, based on the hazy memories from his last visit eight years ago and what his parents told him; Uncle Bud. "Well howdy, Gideon! Why, it's been just too long. You've grown so much since I last saw you!" Uncle Bud said. "Well, I was only five then, and now I'm 13!" "Well, isn't that special? How about this: you get one item from the gift shop on the house, a belated birthday present from me to you!" Bud said affectionately. Then, lowering his tone, "So long as the customers don't see you, now. Wouldn't want them to think if I give you one free thing they all deserve one free thing, it would be mayhem!" Gideon nodded. "Well, I've gotta finish this tour with this especially nice crowd! See ya later, Gideon!" Bud said, speaking louder and in the direction of the customers on the complement, which caused modesty from all of them. They were all gone as quickly as they came, leaving Gideon to wonder where the gift shop even was. Then he looked down the hallway and noticed that the room he entered through was, in fact, the gift shop. _I guess I was paying more attention to my thoughts than my surroundings. Again._ Gideon thought. He walked nervously down the hall to the gift shop and looked around timidly. The only one in the room with him was a girl with straight black hair and red highlights with multiple ear piercings. She wore a sweatshirt with a bleeding star on it, and black skinny jeans with a large key ring fastened onto a belt loop. She hadn't seemed to notice Gideon yet, so he walked slowly by as not to be noticed at all. Gideon walked over to a shelf full of "x-ray glasses" which were obviously fake, along with the "cube of mystery" and the "mermaid scale". After scouring through countless knockoffs, he finally found something suited to his taste: a hat with a blue pine tree on it. It was perfect: it fit his name, it wasn't too big (as all clothes usually were for Gideon), and it served a practical use. Just Gideon's style. He was just about to take his luggage up to the attic, when a sharp female voice called out, "Hey, how'd you get in here?" Gideon turned to see that the girl with multiple piercings was pointing at him and glaring. "I- uh... well I-" "Just get out of here before I kick you out, loser." the girl said briskly. She stood abruptly and stormed outside muttering, "I should never had volunteered to help Wendel, ever since I got here, this place has been overstocked in losers." Great. Gideon hadn't even met five people and already he was reduced back to his quiet, doormat status that he retained at home. _This summer is going SO well so far. _Gideon thought to himself.


End file.
